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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mark — a grade
  8. tube — a container
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — help
  19. mark — a trace
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mark — to pay attention

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