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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cell — in biology
  5. fine — high quality
  6. scale — in music
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rule — government
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rock — music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. rock — a stone
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fine — all right
  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