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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 · content · snap · wind · bulb · fan · coach

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. content — happy
  8. snap — to click
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mate — to breed
  17. content — the amount
  18. wind — moving air
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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