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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — in sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wake — a trail
  14. hand — in cards
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. tube — a container
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hand — help
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bulb — for light

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