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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: lash · drill · wake · bulb · race · patient · lie · fan

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. drill — a practice
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. race — humankind
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. drill — army training
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wake — a trail
  20. race — a contest
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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