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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: bulb · rule · pitcher · temple · row · patient · spell · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rule — a law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — government
  12. roll — a list
  13. row — a line
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — magic

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