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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: wind · patient · board · drill · coach · bat · lash · bulb

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — army training
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. board — a committee
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — the tool
  23. board — to get on
  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