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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: deal · patient · stand · drill · mark · rule

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stand — to bear
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. deal — to handle
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rule — government
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stand — for spectators

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