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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bound — tied together
  4. current — happening now
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — a publisher
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. current — of water
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bound — obliged
  15. shower — to wash
  16. swing — to play on
  17. shower — rain
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bound — certain
  20. current — electric
  21. wind — moving air
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. wind — moving air

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