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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fall — the season
  3. land — to come down
  4. object — a thing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pop — soda
  9. land — ground
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. land — a country
  14. pop — to visit
  15. press — to push
  16. pop — music
  17. press — a publisher
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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