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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: rest · bat · bulb · march · suit · patient · row · staff

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rest — a break
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. suit — in cards
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — a stick
  20. row — a line
  21. rest — what's left
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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