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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. spell — magic
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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