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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 124 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. staff — employees
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. kid — child
  12. shower — rain
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wax — to grow
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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