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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 116 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: pass · patient · cue · land · rule · fall · stem · staff

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stem — to come from
  3. land — a country
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — a hint
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — government
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cue — a signal
  18. land — ground
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fall — the season
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. land — to come down
  24. patient — a sick person

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