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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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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 · deal · season · patient · pass · net · kid · nail

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. deal — a big deal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. kid — child
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. net — for catching
  10. rule — a law
  11. kid — to tease
  12. deal — to handle
  13. net — after costs
  14. rule — government
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. net — in sport
  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