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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. rule — a law
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rule — government
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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