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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rock — a stone
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. rock — music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rule — a law
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. board — a committee
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cold — an illness
  19. board — to get on
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — government
  24. rock — to move gently

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