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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. staff — employees
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kid — child
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rock — music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lean — thin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — to push
  22. staff — a stick
  23. press — a publisher
  24. staff — employees

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