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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 · staff · prune · race · cap · patient · shower · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. race — a contest
  3. mug — to rob
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mug — a face
  6. rule — a law
  7. staff — a stick
  8. shower — to wash
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — a lid
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — a hat
  15. race — humankind
  16. prune — to trim
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cap — of ice
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rule — government
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. shower — rain
  24. prune — to trim

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