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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. object — to protest
  7. last — to go on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. last — final
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. object — an aim
  16. press — to push
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. last — finally
  24. object — a thing

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