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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: mug · saw · mate · mark · last · stand · patient · rule

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. last — to go on
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mug — to rob
  5. last — final
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — finally
  8. rule — a law
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mark — a grade
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rule — government
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mate — to breed
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mug — a face

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