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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 120 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: rule · patient · bank · bound · fork · rash · drill · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rash — a series
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rule — a law
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bound — certain
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bound — tied together
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rash — hasty
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — army training
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — government
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rule — to rule out

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