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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 · lash · rest · cabinet · rule · wave · can · sharp

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rest — a break
  3. rule — government
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rule — a law

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