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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: drill · cap · lash · bulb · patient · lean · pop · wound

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lean — thin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. drill — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pop — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. drill — army training
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pop — soda

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