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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 112 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. press — to push
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fine — all right
  7. pit — in a race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fine — high quality
  18. press — a publisher

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