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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. last — final
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. land — to come down
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. land — a country
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rule — government
  20. ball — a dance
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — a law
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. land — ground

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