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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. band — a ring
  3. spell — magic
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spell — letters
  6. object — an aim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. press — to push
  10. object — to protest
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spell — a short time
  13. object — a thing
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. bulb — for light

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