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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: straw · suit · chair · bulb · patient · fan · wind · spring

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spring — a coil
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spring — the season
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wind — moving air
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chair — a leader
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spring — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. chair — to sit on

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