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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 · tear · bass · bore · rule · fine · season · roll

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rule — government
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bass — low music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. roll — a cake
  15. tear — from crying
  16. roll — a list
  17. bass — the fish
  18. season — of the year
  19. rule — a law
  20. fine — high quality
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — all right
  24. season — in sport

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