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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · last · bulb · bay · net · bat · patient · race

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. race — humankind
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. last — to go on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. last — final
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. net — for catching
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. last — finally
  17. race — a contest
  18. bulb — for light
  19. net — in sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. net — after costs
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. race — the arms race

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