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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. last — to go on
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pop — to visit
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lean — thin
  12. rule — government
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — music
  18. rule — a law
  19. degree — from a university
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pop — soda

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