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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 · cabinet · object · current · date · patient · wake · kick

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. current — of water
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. object — to protest
  11. current — electric
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — an aim
  17. kick — in football
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. current — happening now
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. object — a thing

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