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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. swing — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a dance
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — to play on
  13. net — after costs
  14. swing — in golf
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — for catching
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — a division
  22. net — in sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. branch — of a bank

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