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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — government
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. season — of the year
  7. pass — a permit
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. drill — a practice
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spring — the season
  15. season — in sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spring — of water
  18. drill — army training
  19. rule — a law
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. perch — for a bird

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