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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bank — for money
  4. key — the most important part
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. tube — a container
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bank — for money
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. key — in music
  18. fine — all right
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — a penalty

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