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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: drill · game · lash · patient · rule · cell · temple · mug

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. drill — army training
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. game — a match
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rule — government
  16. mug — to rob
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mug — a cup
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rule — a law
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. game — wild animals
  24. drill — the tool

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