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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — a law
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. root — of a word
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. squash — the sport
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chest — a box
  12. can — to be able to
  13. root — the cause
  14. fall — the season
  15. squash — to crush
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rule — government
  20. rash — a series
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rash — hasty
  24. can — a tin

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