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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 116 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: rest · cell · wake · rule · kick · patient

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cell — in biology
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — a law
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — a trail
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rule — government
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football

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