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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 120 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: dip · patient · press · shower · ball · bulb · key · lash

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bulb — for light
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. key — in music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. shower — rain
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ball — a great time
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. press — newspapers

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