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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. rule — a law
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rule — government
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. staff — a stick
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. current — happening now
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. date — the fruit
  23. shower — rain
  24. date — on the calendar

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