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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: perch · mine · rule · rush · pass · bound · calf · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rule — government
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bound — obliged
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — tied together
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bound — certain
  24. pass — a permit

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