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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: sharp · safe · foot · bulb · degree · prune · patient · press

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — to trim
  7. degree — an amount
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. press — newspapers
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. degree — from a university
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — to trim
  20. foot — a measure
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. degree — temperature

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