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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rule — government
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. branch — a division
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. spring — of water
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. spring — the season
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pass — a permit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. patient — a sick person

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