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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pop — soda
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pop — music
  12. kid — to tease
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kid — child
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — in a race
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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