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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. present — there
  7. cold — an illness
  8. object — to protest
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. key — in music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. present — the time now
  14. cold — not warm
  15. key — the most important part
  16. present — a gift
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. object — a thing
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. object — an aim
  23. coach — a trainer
  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