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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 · ruler · fall · bulb · fan · row · perch · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fall — the season
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. row — a line
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — a supporter

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