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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — boats
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — the amount
  12. chip — for betting
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. content — happy
  22. craft — a skill
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. patient — a sick person

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