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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. land — ground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rule — government
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. land — to come down
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. board — a committee
  15. land — a country
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — an injury
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. board — to get on
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — a flat piece

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