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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: patient · rule · row · rash · suit · spring · coach · calf

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — the season
  6. rash — a series
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — to fit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. rash — hasty
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. spring — of water
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — clothes

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