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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · plane · patient · wind · stock · spring · arm · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wind — moving air
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spring — a coil
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wind — moving air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. plane — a tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stock — goods

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