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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 116 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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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: race · game · vault · bulb · patient · lean · present · straw

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — a safe
  4. game — a match
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. game — wild animals
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. present — there
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — the arms race
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. race — humankind
  18. present — the time now
  19. race — a contest
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. present — a gift
  23. lean — thin
  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