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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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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: fine · mate · patient · rule · stand · foot · row · leaves

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fine — all right
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rule — government
  8. row — a line
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rule — a law
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mate — a partner
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stand — on your feet

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