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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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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: mouse · rest · rule · cell · last · patient · wax · pit

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cell — in biology
  4. last — to go on
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rule — a law

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