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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 124 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. press — to push
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ground — a position
  5. bulb — for light
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — a supporter

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