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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · march · toast · jam · stem · hide · bulb · patient

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. march — the month
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — to come from
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. march — the month
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. march — 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