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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
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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: rest · press · temple · squash · game · kick · patient · bulb

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. press — a publisher
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. press — to push
  8. rest — what's left
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — newspapers
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — a match
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — a kind of play

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