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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — a partner
  5. board — to get on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. rest — what's left
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rule — a law
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fall — the season
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rest — a break
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fall — to drop
  23. board — a committee
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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