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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. current — of water
  4. branch — a division
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — happening now
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — employees
  14. fall — the season
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. staff — employees
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — electric
  19. rest — a break
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rest — what's left
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. drill — army training

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