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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — low music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cap — a lid
  14. branch — a division
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light

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