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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. current — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a document
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rule — a law
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. current — happening now
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. file — a tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — electric
  20. file — a line of people
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stand — to bear
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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