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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kid — to tease
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. track — a song
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. tube — a container
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chair — a leader
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. track — a path

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