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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: net · bulb · saw · calf · lash · pass · bound · patient

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bound — certain
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. net — in sport
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. net — for catching
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — obliged
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — tied together
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. net — after costs

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