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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · press · patient · bulb · stick · pass

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — to push
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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