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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 120 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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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: bulb · trunk · press · stick · patient · safe · pound · bear

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — for light
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. press — to push
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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