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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stock — shares
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — boats
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lean — thin
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stock — goods
  22. lean — to bend
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bat — the animal

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