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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. swing — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kid — to tease
  5. swing — to play on
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — all right
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. press — newspapers
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. kid — child
  23. press — to push
  24. bear — the animal

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