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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. land — ground

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