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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: patient · saw · temple · fine · pass · bass · spring · rule

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spring — the season
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rule — government
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spring — a coil
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — low music
  21. rule — a law
  22. spring — of water
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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