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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rule — government
  4. plane — a tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. band — a music group
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rule — a law
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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