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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.

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: foot · fall · game · bulb · patient · tear · season · mouse

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. season — in sport
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fall — the season
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. game — a match
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — to rip
  24. foot — part of the body

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