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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. press — a publisher
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pop — soda
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — to play on
  12. press — to push
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pop — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lie — to recline
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — to visit

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