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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 116 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: lean · cap · fan · patient · snap · band · bat · rule

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rule — government
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bat — the animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rule — a law
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lean — thin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. band — a ring
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rule — to rule out

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