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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rule — a law
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. file — a line of people
  12. firm — steady
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. file — a document
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. file — a tool
  20. firm — a company
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. firm — decided
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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