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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pop — music
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. face — part of the head
  8. press — to push
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — for light
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. capital — money
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. capital — a city
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pop — soda

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