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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. press — to push
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — a publisher
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. press — newspapers
  15. toast — bread
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bound — certain
  22. rule — a law
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bulb — for light

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