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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · degree · patient · rule · tear · lie · content · safe

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cell — in biology
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rule — a law
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tear — to rip
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lie — to recline
  13. tear — from crying
  14. degree — from a university
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. content — the amount
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. content — happy
  23. rule — government
  24. safe — out of danger

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