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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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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: patient · rash · chip · branch · cabinet · pit · bulb · wax

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rash — a series
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — a division
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wax — to grow
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. patient — a sick person

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