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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.

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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 · bear · spell · press · dip · patient · saw · pitcher

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bear — the animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rule — a law
  17. press — a publisher
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rule — government
  20. press — newspapers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — the tool
  23. press — to push
  24. pitcher — a jug

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