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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pop — soda
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pop — music
  6. file — a tool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. staff — employees
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. file — a document
  12. pop — to visit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — employees
  15. kid — to tease
  16. file — a line of people
  17. root — the cause
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — child
  20. root — of a word
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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