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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.

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: bulb · suit · kick · press · field · mine · cell · coach

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cell — in biology
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — farmland
  7. press — a publisher
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. kick — in football
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mine — for digging
  13. suit — clothes
  14. press — to push
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. field — a subject
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. field — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cell — a phone

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