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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ground — a position
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chest — a box
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ground — crushed
  20. press — to push
  21. chest — of your body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bulb — for light

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