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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 116 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 · spell · leaves · wind · patient · pound · pass · fan

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. rule — government
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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