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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — government
  3. file — a document
  4. pit — in a race
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rule — a law
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. net — in sport
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pit — a hole
  13. net — for catching
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. board — a committee
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. net — after costs
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — to get on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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