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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 ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rock — music
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rock — a stone
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tear — to rip
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. press — to push
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rash — a series
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — a hole
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tear — from crying

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