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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 120 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 · land · mug · calf · bulb · mine · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. land — a country
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mug — a face
  13. land — ground
  14. firm — steady
  15. bulb — for light
  16. firm — decided
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rule — a law
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mine — for digging
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. land — to come down
  24. bulb — for light

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