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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — crushed
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ground — a position
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — in a race
  20. tube — a container
  21. pit — a hole
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ground — the earth

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