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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bear — the animal
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. track — to keep track
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cell — in biology
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. track — a path
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. perch — the fish
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cell — a phone
  24. sharp — clever

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