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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. present — there
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hand — help
  8. press — to push
  9. present — a gift
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cap — of ice
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stock — goods
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chest — a box
  18. cap — a hat
  19. press — newspapers
  20. hand — in cards
  21. present — the time now
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stock — shares
  24. safe — out of danger

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