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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mug — a face
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bark — to shout
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. press — to push
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — to eat
  16. spring — of water
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — to rob
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. press — newspapers
  24. spring — the season

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