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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spring — the season
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. last — finally
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. last — final
  13. sharp — clever
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — a coil
  23. last — to go on
  24. press — newspapers

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