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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. firm — steady
  3. drill — the tool
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rule — government
  6. field — for sport
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. drill — a practice
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. firm — a company
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. field — a subject
  14. drill — army training
  15. wax — to grow
  16. firm — decided
  17. rule — a law
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. field — farmland
  24. wax — for sculpting

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