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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.

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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: snap · fork · clip · season · bulb · mark · bat · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. season — of the year
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. clip — a video
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. season — in sport
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mark — a trace

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