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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: pit · patient · firm · sharp · stem · lash · rule · roll

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. roll — a list
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. firm — decided
  10. roll — a cake
  11. firm — steady
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. firm — a company
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stem — to come from

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