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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: suit · fall · rock · bulb · bore · degree · straw · patient

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fall — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. suit — in cards
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — to fit
  23. degree — from a university
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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