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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: date · rule · rush · bear · patient · dip · bore · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rule — government
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rule — a law
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rash — hasty
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. dip — to sink
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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