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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. present — the time now
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. press — a publisher
  7. present — there
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. branch — a division
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — a song
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. track — a path
  20. cap — of ice
  21. present — a gift
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cap — a hat
  24. press — to push

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