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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rest — a break
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rule — government
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fine — all right
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rule — a law
  21. tear — from crying
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — a tool

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