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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. board — to get on
  3. rest — a break
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rule — a law
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rash — a series
  10. stand — to bear
  11. file — a tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. rule — government
  14. net — for catching
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. file — a document

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