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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rule — government
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. court — of law
  7. game — wild animals
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. court — for sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rule — a law
  13. rock — music
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. court — of a king
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rock — a stone

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