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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — a publisher
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. press — to push
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. season — in sport
  13. stock — goods
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stock — shares
  23. season — of the year
  24. bulb — of a plant

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