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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. object — to protest
  9. court — for sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. object — an aim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. court — of a king
  15. rash — a series
  16. press — a publisher
  17. court — of law
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. object — a thing
  23. bound — obliged
  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