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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — a country
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — a price
  9. band — a ring
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. band — a music group
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. land — ground
  17. cold — an illness
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — to come down
  20. cold — not warm
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — in control
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cold — the Cold War

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