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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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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bank — for money
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bear — the animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. clip — to cut
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. net — for catching
  14. bulb — for light
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bank — of a river
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. net — after costs
  20. bulb — for light
  21. clip — a video
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bank — for money

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