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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 116 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: patient · stick · capital · mug · bulb · saw · chair · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. capital — money
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mug — to rob
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — a face
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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