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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 124 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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468
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: bulb · patient · hide · net · dip · chair · pound · craft

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. craft — a skill
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. craft — boats
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. net — for catching
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. dip — a sauce

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