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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. clip — to cut
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. clip — for paper
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. clip — a video
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. bore — to tire
  20. net — in sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — a division
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. branch — of a bank

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