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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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. swing — music
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. swing — to play on
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bulb — for light
  8. race — a contest
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. press — to push
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. vault — a safe
  17. race — humankind
  18. press — a publisher
  19. can — a tin
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. press — newspapers
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — the arms race

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