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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. press — newspapers
  7. band — a music group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — a series
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rash — hasty
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mate — a friend
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mate — to breed
  20. band — a ring
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bulb — for light

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