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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: cell · bulb · press · firm · shower · patient · rush · wound

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. firm — a company
  10. shower — rain
  11. cell — in biology
  12. firm — decided
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cell — a phone
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. firm — steady

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