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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: rule · patient · date · stand · kid · fine · rush · trunk

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. date — the fruit
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fine — all right
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rule — government
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — a law
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stand — to bear
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. date — on the calendar

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