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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — to get on
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cue — for pool
  7. drill — army training
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cue — a hint
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cue — a signal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tear — to rip
  18. board — a committee
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — for light

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