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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: kick · firm · lash · patient · saw · bulb · chair · bore

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. firm — steady
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. firm — decided
  6. saw — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. firm — a company
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — in football
  15. bore — to tire
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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