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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: bulb · patient · bear · toast · pop · foot · hide · current

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. current — happening now
  8. bulb — for light
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. current — electric
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pop — to visit
  18. current — of water
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bear — the animal

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