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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — music
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — to push
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bulb — of a plant

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