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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 · pit · patient · bark · chair · ground · hide · wax

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. ground — the earth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chair — a leader
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ground — a position
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wax — to grow
  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