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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. saw — the tool
  3. press — newspapers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. land — a country
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — to be able to
  11. press — a publisher
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. land — ground
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — size or range
  17. can — a tin
  18. press — to push
  19. wake — a trail
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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