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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. charge — in control
  6. object — a thing
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rule — a law
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. object — an aim
  18. charge — electricity
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. object — to protest
  21. sharp — clever
  22. file — a tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. charge — a price

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