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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cold — an illness
  4. press — to push
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tube — a container
  7. press — a publisher
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. charge — in control
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mine — for digging
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. charge — electricity
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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