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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. press — to push
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hand — help
  24. lie — an untruth

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