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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · bulb · fall · patient · mouse · degree · scale · board

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fall — to drop
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. scale — in music
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — temperature
  14. board — a committee
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — the season
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — to drop
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. board — to get on
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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