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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: drill · jam · clip · patient · pass · rule · leaves · swing

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. swing — to play on
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. swing — music
  6. rule — a law
  7. clip — for paper
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. clip — a video
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. drill — army training
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. swing — in golf

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