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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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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 · racket · fall · stand · rash · mark · hide · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fall — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mark — a grade
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stand — on your feet

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