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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — a stone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — to confront
  15. fine — all right
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rule — a law
  18. face — part of the head
  19. file — a tool
  20. rock — music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fine — high quality
  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