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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. clip — a video
  3. tear — from crying
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bore — to drill
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lean — to bend
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — a series
  13. clip — for paper
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rash — hasty
  17. charge — a price
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lean — thin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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