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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · net · club · rush · jam · patient · face · arm

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. net — in sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. net — for catching
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. face — to confront
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rule — government
  20. face — part of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. net — after costs
  24. club — a group

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