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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mug — a cup
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. root — the cause
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wind — moving air
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rule — government
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mug — a face
  18. rule — a law
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. root — of a word
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lean — thin

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