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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rush — hurry
  24. temple — a place of worship

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