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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: patient · pass · rash · mug · stick · rule · wind · stock

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rash — a series
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — government
  12. mug — a face
  13. stock — shares
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rule — a law
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wind — moving air

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