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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fine — high quality
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — a law
  12. lie — to recline
  13. capital — money
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. capital — a city
  16. fine — all right
  17. rule — government
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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