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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. track — to keep track
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — the time now
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. track — a song
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. track — a path
  19. hand — help
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — 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