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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. sharp — clever
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. press — to push
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — newspapers
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spring — of water
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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