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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. board — a committee
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cold — not warm
  16. mark — a trace
  17. board — to get on
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. press — to push
  24. hand — help

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