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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.

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: pass · patient · arm · bulb · cold · fan · drill · roll

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cold — an illness
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. pass — a permit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cold — not warm
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

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