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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rule — government
  3. ground — a position
  4. squash — the sport
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. track — a song
  8. rush — hurry
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — a path
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lean — thin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ground — crushed
  17. present — there
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rule — a law
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. squash — to crush

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