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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rule — a law
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — the sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. court — of a king
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — of law
  18. squash — to crush
  19. toast — bread
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. court — for sport

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