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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — in sport
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — government
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. snap — to click
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. rule — a law

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