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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pop — soda
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — newspapers
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pop — music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rest — what's left

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