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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: patient · rule · branch · toast · present · last

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. last — to go on
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — a gift
  9. branch — a division
  10. present — there
  11. last — finally
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. last — final
  14. present — the time now
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rule — a law

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