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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cue — a hint
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cue — for pool
  11. present — a gift
  12. chair — a leader
  13. present — the time now
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. press — to push
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. present — there
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bulb — for light

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