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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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Word bank
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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — in sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. capital — a city
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rash — a series
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. land — a country
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bulb — for light
  24. temple — a place of worship

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