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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 120 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: lash · rule · mine · cell · cap · rash · patient · can

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rule — government
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cell — in biology
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mine — for digging
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rule — a law
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. can — a tin
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rash — a series

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