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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — in music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ball — a great time
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rush — hurry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fan — a supporter

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