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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: fan · last · rush · patient · cap · mate · snap · rest

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. last — to go on
  5. rush — hurry
  6. last — final
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. last — finally
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mate — a partner
  14. snap — to click
  15. cap — a lid
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rest — a break
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mate — a friend

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