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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. game — wild animals
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — for betting
  19. game — a match
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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