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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bulb · firm · bass · leaves · file · stick · dip

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bass — the fish
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. firm — a company
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. firm — steady
  17. file — a document
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — to sink
  24. leaves — of a tree

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