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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. game — wild animals
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. march — the month
  5. chest — of your body
  6. drill — army training
  7. chest — a box
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. march — music
  14. drill — the tool
  15. current — electric
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rule — government
  18. current — of water
  19. rule — a law
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. game — a match
  23. current — happening now
  24. game — a kind of play

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