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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. squash — to crush
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rule — government
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. file — a tool
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. file — a line of people
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — to grow
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a document
  23. vault — a safe
  24. chip — to eat

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