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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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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: object · bulb · hand · wave · patient · cap · staff · ground

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. staff — employees
  4. cap — a hat
  5. hand — help
  6. ground — a position
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. object — an aim
  9. staff — employees
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. object — to protest
  15. hand — in cards
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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