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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: track · fan · patient · net · rule · drill · wake · cabinet

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. wake — a trail
  4. net — for catching
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — after costs
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rule — a law
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. net — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — government
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. wake — before a funeral

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