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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 120 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: lean · chair · saw · mate · game · prune · patient · bulb

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lean — thin
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chair — a leader
  22. saw — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — to sit on

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