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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. swing — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. root — of a word
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rock — music
  15. root — the cause
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rule — a law
  18. swing — in golf
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rule — government
  22. bat — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. row — a line

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