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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 120 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: pit · patient · rule · spell · lean · lash · shower · stand

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stand — to bear
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. pit — in a race
  10. shower — rain
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. rule — government
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. shower — to wash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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