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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. land — a country
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rule — government
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. bass — low music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a document
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. file — a tool
  23. rule — a law
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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