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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — soda
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pop — music
  16. snap — to click
  17. press — to push
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rule — a law
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rule — government
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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