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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mark — a trace
  4. sharp — clever
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. shower — rain
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rule — government
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. nail — for a hammer

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