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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: patient · fan · bore · bulb · wake · trunk · bass · mouse

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bass — low music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bass — the fish
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to tire
  24. trunk — of a car

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