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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: patient · spring · board · can · straw · ground · pass · bulb

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a committee
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spring — a coil
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. spring — of water
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. can — to be able to
  14. board — to get on
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spring — the season
  18. ground — a position
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. straw — dry grass

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