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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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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 · patient · wind · swing · wave · vault · nail · mouse

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. nail — for a hammer

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