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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · can · nail · spring · patient · swing · perch · band

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. swing — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — to be able to
  6. band — a music group
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rule — government
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — a tin
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rule — a law
  15. spring — of water
  16. swing — in golf
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a ring
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. nail — on a finger

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