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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — for sport
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — in music
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kid — child
  15. field — a subject
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kid — to tease
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. scale — for weighing
  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