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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rule — government
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. firm — a company
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pop — music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. firm — decided
  13. clip — to cut
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mug — a face
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. firm — steady
  18. pop — to visit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — soda
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rule — a law

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