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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. degree — an amount
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. press — to push
  8. charge — a price
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. press — a publisher
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — to sink
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — low music
  24. degree — from a university

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