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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 · rash · stick · wind · pit · bass · patient · lash

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rule — government
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rash — a series
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rule — a law
  19. bass — low music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bass — the instrument

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