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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 · ground · bulb · field · wave · bore · cabinet · file

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ground — a position
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — farmland
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — crushed
  9. press — a publisher
  10. file — a document
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bore — to tire
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. file — a tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bore — to drill
  20. press — to push
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bore — gave birth

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