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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — to push
  9. row — to paddle
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. row — a line
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. press — newspapers
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. row — a quarrel

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