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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. clip — a video
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bulb — for light
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — hurry
  14. board — a committee
  15. stock — shares
  16. clip — for paper
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stock — goods
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. clip — to cut
  22. board — to get on
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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