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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: mine · pop · rush · patient · foot · lash · season · bulb

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mine — for digging
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pop — music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. season — of the year
  24. pop — to visit

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