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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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Word bank
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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: rule · calf · row · rest · patient · coach

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. row — a line
  13. rule — a law
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rule — government
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person

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