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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 120 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: march · cue · band · snap · patient · leaves · bulb · rush

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — for pool
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cue — a signal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — hurry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. snap — to click
  16. cue — a hint
  17. band — a ring
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. band — a music group

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