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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: dip · patient · rule · race · prune · tube · rash · degree

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rule — a law
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tube — the underground
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. tube — a container
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rash — a series
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. prune — to trim
  13. race — humankind
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. race — a contest
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. race — the arms race
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rule — to rule out

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