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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rash — a series
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chip — for betting
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. drill — army training
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cue — for pool

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