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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.

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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rule — a law
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rule — government
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. tube — the underground
  13. drill — army training
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fine — all right
  16. tube — a container
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. drill — a practice
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. plane — a tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. patient — a sick person

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