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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rule — a law
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rule — government
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. firm — a company
  18. rash — a series
  19. charge — in control
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. firm — steady
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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