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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. track — a path
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rule — government
  9. chest — of your body
  10. track — a song
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chest — a box
  20. cue — for pool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. march — music
  24. rule — a law

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