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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. present — there
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bass — low music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. season — of the year
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bulb — for light
  19. present — the time now
  20. bass — the fish
  21. craft — a skill
  22. staff — a stick
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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