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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rock — music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rock — a stone
  7. drill — the tool
  8. kick — in football
  9. spring — the season
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spring — a coil
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. drill — army training
  15. scale — in music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. scale — size or range
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. drill — a practice
  24. kick — with a leg

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