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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: hide · bulb · press · net · lean · capital · board · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. board — a committee
  5. net — for catching
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — after costs
  10. capital — money
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. board — to get on
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — a city
  17. press — to push
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. net — in sport
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. press — a publisher

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