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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. present — a gift
  7. rule — government
  8. present — there
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rule — a law
  16. present — the time now
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mug — a face

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