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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. drill — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — to breed
  6. current — electric
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rule — government
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rule — a law
  18. current — of water
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — happening now
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. bass — low music

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