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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. press — to push
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rule — a law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. press — a publisher
  21. staff — employees
  22. rule — government
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fine — all right

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