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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
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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: file · bulb · press · rush · band · sharp · spring · patient

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. band — a ring
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spring — the season
  8. file — a document
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rush — hurry
  20. sharp — clever
  21. press — to push
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spring — a coil
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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