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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — to recline
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — a container
  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