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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 124 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: clip · chest · fan · bulb · patient · jam · pass · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. clip — a video
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. clip — to cut
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chest — a box

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