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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 120 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — government
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a ring
  16. fall — the season
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — a break
  19. rule — a law
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rest — what's left
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. band — a music group
  24. bound — obliged

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