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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bound — tied together
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. race — the arms race
  11. spell — a short time
  12. press — newspapers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. spell — letters
  17. press — a publisher
  18. race — a contest
  19. bulb — for light
  20. press — to push
  21. race — humankind
  22. spell — magic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bound — obliged

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