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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: bulb · row · patient · stem · press · rock · object · cabinet

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stem — to come from
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. object — a thing
  13. rock — music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. object — to protest
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. object — an aim
  24. press — a publisher

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