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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rule — government
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. staff — employees
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. clip — to cut
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. clip — for paper
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — a video
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rule — a law
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fan — a supporter

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