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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: straw · patient · deal · rock · bay · rule

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rule — a law
  3. rock — music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rule — government
  17. rock — a stone
  18. straw — dry grass

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