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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.

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: bay · foot · bat · patient · game · lash · bulb · field

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. field — for sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — a subject
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. foot — a measure
  13. field — farmland
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bat — the animal

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