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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. root — the cause
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — in sport
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. net — for catching
  13. craft — boats
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. root — of a word
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cue — a signal

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