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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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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: spring · arm · bulb · lie · press · roll · patient · bank

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. roll — a list
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lie — to recline
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — of water
  22. bank — for money
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. arm — a part of something

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