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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: snap · ruler · key · rule · patient · swing · cabinet · bulb

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. snap — to click
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — a law
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. swing — to play on
  13. key — in music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. swing — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rule — government
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. key — for a lock
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. patient — a sick person

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