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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rule — a law
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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