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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: patient · mate · bulb · land · mark · net · lie · straw

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bulb — for light
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mate — a partner
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — a country
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mark — a grade
  14. land — ground
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a trace
  19. net — for catching
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mate — to breed
  23. land — to come down
  24. net — in sport

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