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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — soda
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — a publisher
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pop — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wake — a trail

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