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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rock — a stone
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. rest — a break
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chest — of your body
  8. press — a publisher
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. rock — music
  12. stock — shares
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stock — goods
  16. chest — a box
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chest — of your body
  20. land — ground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — the time now
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. press — to push

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