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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: rule · arm · wake · bulb · coach · patient · leaves · craft

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rule — a law
  7. craft — a skill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — boats
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — government

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