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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 116 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
468
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: lean · press · swing · bulb · rest · kick · sharp · patient

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. swing — music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rest — a break
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lean — thin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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