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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: swing · shower · rule · bulb · patient · stick

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. shower — rain
  5. swing — to play on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — a law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rule — government
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. swing — music

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