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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. band — a ring
  7. fall — to drop
  8. band — a music group
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. season — of the year
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. row — a line
  20. fall — the season
  21. season — in sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. season — to add flavour

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