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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. face — part of the head
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — to get on
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rule — a law
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — to confront
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. board — a committee
  23. face — to point toward
  24. trunk — of a car

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