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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — a video
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bass — the fish
  13. clip — to cut
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. clip — for paper
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bass — the instrument

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