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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: bulb · staff · sharp · jam · patient · stand · bound · wound

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. staff — employees
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bound — tied together
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. staff — employees
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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