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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 · ruler · patient · bear · bark · fine

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rule — a law
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bark — of a tree

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