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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chip — to eat
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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