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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: patient · rule · spell · lash · temple · chair · rest · band

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. band — a ring
  3. rule — government
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rule — a law
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. band — a music group
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chair — a professorship

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