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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: band · patient · spell · rush · scale · rule · sharp · bulb

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spell — letters
  3. scale — in music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rule — government
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a ring
  11. scale — size or range
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. spell — magic
  23. band — a music group
  24. rule — a law

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