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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 116 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: season · patient · kid · bark · leaves · rule · ruler · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — a hint
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rule — government
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bark — to shout
  16. kid — to tease
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rule — a law
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kid — child
  24. patient — a sick person

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