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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 · net · hide · patient · bore · ruler

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. net — after costs
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. net — for catching
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — in sport
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bore — to tire
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rule — government
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ruler — for measuring
  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