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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: wound · snap · bulb · patient · rush · tube · bowl · mug

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to click
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. tube — a container
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tube — the underground
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mug — a cup
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mug — a face
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bulb — for light

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