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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.

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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: season · can · lie · bulb · patient · pit · cold · fork

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — a hole
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. can — a tin
  9. season — of the year
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. can — a tin
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lie — to recline
  20. season — in sport
  21. cold — an illness
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cold — not warm
  24. pit — in a race

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