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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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. last — final
  4. craft — boats
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. last — to go on
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. last — finally
  22. bound — certain
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bulb — of a plant

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