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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: press · patient · mine · board · wave · race · bulb · current

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — to get on
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. current — of water
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — happening now
  12. race — a contest
  13. press — to push
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. current — electric
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. race — the arms race
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. race — humankind
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. patient — a sick person

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