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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hand — in cards
  3. date — the fruit
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hand — help
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. press — to push
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. fall — to drop

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