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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: game · present · rush · toast · spring · mouse · patient · bulb

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. spring — the season
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — the time now
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. toast — bread
  21. game — a match
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. present — a gift
  24. spring — of water

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