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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bulb — for light
  9. race — humankind
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. race — a contest
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. race — the arms race
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bank — of a river
  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