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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · game · rule · present · patient · fan · straw · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. present — there
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rule — government
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. present — the time now
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. game — a match
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — a gift
  16. rule — a law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rule — to rule out

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