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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: craft · cabinet · patient · stick · stem · hide · bulb · clip

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. clip — a video
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — boats
  15. stem — to come from
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. clip — for paper
  22. craft — a skill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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