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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. root — of a plant
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rash — a series
  10. root — the cause
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. root — of a word
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — in a race
  21. row — a line
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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