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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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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: last · patient · suit · drill · bulb · hand · kid · cabinet

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. drill — the tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bulb — for light
  10. drill — army training
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. hand — help
  13. last — to go on
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. hand — in cards
  16. drill — a practice
  17. last — finally
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. last — final
  24. kid — child

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