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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: rule · vault · ruler · season · perch · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — government
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. season — in sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rule — a law
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. season — of the year

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