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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: roll · ground · track · lash · rule · patient · rash · mug

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rule — a law
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ground — crushed
  10. roll — a list
  11. mug — a face
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rule — government
  15. rash — hasty
  16. track — a song
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rash — a series
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — to rob

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