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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. press — to push
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kick — in football
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. season — in sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cap — of ice
  20. season — of the year
  21. wake — a trail
  22. press — newspapers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kick — a thrill

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