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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: patient · tube · bulb · stand · clip · key · saw · fine

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fine — all right
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. key — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — the underground
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. clip — a video
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. clip — for paper
  16. tube — a container
  17. key — for a lock
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. clip — to cut

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