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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — to breed
  3. face — to confront
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. spring — the season
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — of water
  10. cell — in biology
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bulb — for light
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cue — a hint
  23. face — part of the head
  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