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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: patient · lash · rush · stick · bulb · track · mug · file

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. file — a document
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. file — a tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. file — a line of people
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mug — a face
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. track — a song
  24. mug — a cup

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