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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kid — to tease
  4. object — a thing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. object — an aim
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. rest — a break
  16. rule — government
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fine — all right
  20. kid — child
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fine — high quality
  23. object — to protest
  24. fine — a penalty

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