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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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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. shower — to wash
  3. press — to push
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pop — to visit
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pop — music
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pop — soda
  23. shower — rain
  24. pass — a permit

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