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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 · perch · wind · spell · bowl · foot · net · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rule — government
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. spell — letters
  5. net — in sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wind — moving air
  12. net — for catching
  13. wind — moving air
  14. foot — a measure
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. net — after costs
  20. spell — magic
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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