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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. can — to be able to
  3. press — to push
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. press — a publisher
  8. suit — in cards
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kid — to tease
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kid — child
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. suit — clothes
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. press — newspapers
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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