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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cue — a hint
  6. file — a document
  7. land — to come down
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cue — for pool
  12. land — a country
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. kid — child
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. kid — to tease
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. land — ground
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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