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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 120 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: board · deal · fan · season · patient · kid · bulb · wax

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. kid — to tease
  13. season — in sport
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. board — a committee
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. board — to get on
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kid — child
  24. fan — a supporter

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