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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 116 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: kid · bulb · bear · ball · patient · face · rush · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rush — hurry
  3. face — to point toward
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. ball — a great time
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bear — the animal
  13. face — to confront
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — to hurry
  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