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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bass — low music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. craft — a skill
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. press — to push
  13. lie — to recline
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — boats
  24. bass — the fish

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