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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. board — a committee
  6. press — to push
  7. dip — to sink
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. kick — in football
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cold — not warm
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. track — to keep track
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. board — to get on
  23. cold — an illness
  24. board — a flat piece

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