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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: trunk · patient · nail · bore · spell · bulb · chair · press

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spell — letters
  3. bore — to tire
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. spell — a short time
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. spell — magic
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bore — to drill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — on a finger

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