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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: clip · patient · staff · calf · wave · snap · bulb · racket

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. clip — for paper
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bulb — for light
  11. snap — to click
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. clip — a video
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. staff — employees
  18. clip — to cut
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. staff — employees
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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