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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — a short time
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. spell — magic
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spell — letters
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person

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