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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bulb — for light
  3. craft — boats
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. press — to push
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — happening now
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. current — electric
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. press — a publisher
  14. club — for golf
  15. current — of water
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. club — a group
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chest — of your body

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