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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 · press · scale · leaves · wave · dip · sharp · patient

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — to push
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. dip — to sink
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — in music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. sharp — exactly

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