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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: bowl · rule · bat · can · patient · wake · spell · rock

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — a stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. spell — letters
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — a law
  12. rock — music
  13. spell — magic
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. patient — a sick person

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