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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — money
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rash — a series
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. toast — bread
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rash — hasty
  18. season — of the year
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. capital — a city
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. toast — the most admired

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