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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · fan · spell · leaves · bulb · rule · race · patient

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spell — magic
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spell — letters
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. race — humankind
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — a law
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rule — government
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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