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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · mine · board · patient · arm · bulb · press · band

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. press — a publisher
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mine — for digging
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. board — to get on
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. band — a ring
  15. row — a line
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a music group
  20. press — to push
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. band — a rubber band

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