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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — of water
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bass — low music
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — the season
  24. ruler — a monarch

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