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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: staff · bulb · tube · lean · patient · arm · bowl · bass

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bass — low music
  4. staff — employees
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lean — to bend
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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