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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. shower — rain
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. tear — to rip
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — all right
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. press — to push
  23. deal — to handle
  24. shower — to wash

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