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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. season — in sport
  5. track — a song
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. track — a path
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. deal — to handle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rule — a law
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. calf — a young animal

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