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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. drill — army training
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — in football
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fall — the season
  13. bank — for money
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stem — of a plant

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