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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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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 · bank · stick · patient · club · toast · calf · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cold — not warm
  12. club — a group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bank — for money
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bank — for money
  20. rule — a law
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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