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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. field — farmland
  3. rule — government
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. field — a subject
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. field — for sport
  11. staff — a stick
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. kid — child
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. vault — a safe
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — for a computer

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