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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
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: hide · bulb · craft · season · arm · can · chest · patient

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. season — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. craft — boats
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — a tin
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chest — a box
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. season — of the year
  24. arm — part of the body

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