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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: rush · snap · patient · cabinet · toast · pound · pit · rule

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — a weight
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rush — hurry
  6. toast — bread
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rule — a law
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pit — in a race
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. snap — to click
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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