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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mug — to rob
  4. press — to push
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mug — a face
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bay — a horse colour

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