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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — a gift
  6. press — to push
  7. present — there
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — a break
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — to trim
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. press — newspapers
  24. present — the time now

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