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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — of water
  3. present — there
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bulb — for light
  7. present — a gift
  8. current — happening now
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. present — the time now
  17. press — to push
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — electric
  21. stem — to come from
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. press — newspapers

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