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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. board — to get on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — a publisher
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — low music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fall — the season
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. dip — to sink
  18. press — to push
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bass — the fish
  22. board — a committee
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — to drop

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