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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: hand · bulb · mate · dip · toast · patient · rule · band

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rule — a law
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. band — a ring
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — for light
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rule — government
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — to breed
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mate — a partner
  20. toast — bread
  21. hand — help
  22. mate — a friend
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rule — to rule out

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