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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — employees
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tube — a container
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — in a tire

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