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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · patient · bulb · firm · scale · toast · content · wound

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. firm — steady
  9. bulb — for light
  10. firm — decided
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. content — the amount
  13. toast — bread
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — a company
  24. mine — for digging

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