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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. season — in sport
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wound — an injury
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tear — from crying
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — of the year
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. suit — clothes
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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