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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. row — to paddle
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — magic
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. suit — to fit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — clothes
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to click
  14. row — a line
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spell — letters
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spell — a short time
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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