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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: temple · bulb · cabinet · patient · suit · bat · march · spring

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. march — the month
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — the season
  11. march — music
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. suit — in cards
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — of water
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — the month
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. temple — a place of worship

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