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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: band · rule · arm · file · cap · root · bay · patient

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cap — of ice
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rule — a law
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. root — the cause
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a tool
  13. rule — government
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cap — a hat
  18. file — a document
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. root — of a word

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