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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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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: fan · rule · patient · cabinet · craft · wind · bulb · cell

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — government
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rule — a law
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cell — a phone
  22. craft — boats
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fan — a supporter

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