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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ball — a dance
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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