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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. press — a publisher
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. press — to push
  7. face — to point toward
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. tube — the underground
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tube — a container
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — to confront
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bat — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — part of the head

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