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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. scale — size or range
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. press — newspapers
  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