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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.

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: rule · patient · spell · club · season · mark · cell · spring

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. spell — magic
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — of water
  9. season — in sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cell — in biology
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. club — a group
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. spring — the season
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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