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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 124 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rush — hurry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fall — the season
  9. rule — a law
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — to come down
  12. object — a thing
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rule — government
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fall — to drop
  21. land — a country
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. object — an aim
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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