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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rule — government
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — a trace
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rule — a law
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mark — a grade
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — what's left

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