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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — of the year
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mug — a cup
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. press — a publisher
  19. game — wild animals
  20. row — to paddle
  21. press — to push
  22. row — a line
  23. game — a match
  24. season — in sport

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