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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mug · lash · root · object · pitcher · lie · rule

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — a law
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. object — to protest
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. object — an aim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — of a plant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. root — of a word
  20. rule — government
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. root — the cause
  24. rule — to rule out

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