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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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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 · present · lie · shower · pound · patient · leaves · snap

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — to recline
  7. snap — to click
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. present — a gift
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. present — the time now
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. shower — rain
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — there

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