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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 · press · bulb · track · fall · present · patient · lean

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. present — a gift
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lean — thin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. present — there
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — for light
  9. press — newspapers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. present — the time now
  14. fall — the season
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lean — to bend
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — to keep track
  24. sharp — clever

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