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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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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — newspapers
  4. object — to protest
  5. present — a gift
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. object — a thing
  9. present — the time now
  10. press — to push
  11. object — an aim
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. press — a publisher
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. present — there
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. spell — magic

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