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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. band — a ring
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fall — the season
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — a path
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — a song
  10. band — a music group
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. press — a publisher
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fall — to drop

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