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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bulb — for light
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. suit — to fit

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