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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: net · mine · rule · patient · wake · toast · lie · root

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — government
  6. toast — bread
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rule — a law
  9. mine — for digging
  10. net — after costs
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. root — of a plant
  13. net — in sport
  14. wake — a trail
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — of a word
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. root — the cause
  19. net — for catching
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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