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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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