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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · patient · mine · rule · press · bulb · pass · spell

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — for digging
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spell — magic
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rule — government
  18. press — to push
  19. rule — a law
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — a publisher
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. spell — letters

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