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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. suit — to fit
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. charge — in control
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — a price
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rash — a series
  19. shower — to wash
  20. charge — electricity
  21. shower — rain
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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