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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. field — for sport
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. field — a subject
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. capital — money
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pit — a hole
  18. field — farmland
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. capital — a city
  22. rash — a series
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rash — hasty

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