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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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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. content — happy
  7. current — happening now
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. current — electric
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. current — of water
  23. content — the amount
  24. kick — with a leg

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