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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 124 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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Word bank
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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. vault — a safe
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. charge — electricity
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. charge — in control
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. season — in sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitcher — a jug

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