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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.

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 · drill · bat · patient · cap · fine · can · snap

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bulb — for light
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bat — the animal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to click
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fine — all right
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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