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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rule — government
  4. kick — in football
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a cup
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. object — to protest
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. object — a thing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — electric
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — happening now
  19. mug — to rob
  20. current — of water
  21. object — an aim
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rule — a law
  24. mug — a face

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