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

Word bank: swing · stand · wind · shower · bulb · key · lash · patient

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. key — for a lock
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stand — to bear
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. swing — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. shower — rain
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bulb — for light
  24. key — in music

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