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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pit — a hole
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. game — wild animals
  11. craft — boats
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — a match
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — in a race
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bulb — for light
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. craft — a skill

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