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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fall — the season
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a great time
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — in football

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