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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — in sport
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rule — a law
  10. saw — the tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chest — a box
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rule — government
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chest — of your body
  21. season — of the year
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com