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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rest — a break
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stock — goods
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mug — a face
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — happy
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — the amount
  21. last — finally
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stock — shares

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