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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — to push
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — the cause
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. root — of a word
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — a series
  14. press — newspapers
  15. hand — in cards
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rash — hasty
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bound — certain
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cue — a signal
  24. arm — part of the body

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