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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · bulb · clip · stick · shower · chip · bound · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — a video
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. shower — rain
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bound — obliged
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bound — tied together
  17. shower — to wash
  18. clip — for paper
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — certain
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chip — to eat

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