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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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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: mate · ruler · season · patient · mug · tear · band · rest

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. season — of the year
  5. band — a music group
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rest — a break
  8. mug — a face
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mate — a friend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — to breed
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mug — to rob
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rest — what's left
  21. season — in sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a ring

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