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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. swing — to play on
  3. content — the amount
  4. root — the cause
  5. squash — to crush
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. swing — in golf
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. content — happy
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. squash — the sport
  19. swing — music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. root — of a word
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to click

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