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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: patient · drill · calf · mark · club · cabinet · bulb · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — for golf
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — a group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. drill — a practice
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mark — a grade
  23. drill — army training
  24. bulb — for light

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