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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. net — after costs
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spring — the season
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. net — for catching
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — to protest
  20. spring — a coil
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. net — in sport
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spring — of water

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