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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stock — shares
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rule — government
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. suit — in cards
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lean — thin
  16. stock — goods
  17. rule — a law
  18. clip — a video
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. row — a line
  24. clip — to cut

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