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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: fine · straw · patient · hide · hand · wake · present · bulb

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. present — there
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. present — the time now
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wake — a trail
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. present — a gift
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. hand — help

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