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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: lie · kid · spell · rule · mate · patient · bank · date

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spell — letters
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. spell — a short time
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bank — of a river
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. spell — magic

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