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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. object — a thing
  3. rule — government
  4. object — to protest
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ground — a position
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bore — to tire
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. object — an aim
  24. tube — the underground

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