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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. deal — to handle
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. press — to push
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cap — of ice
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — a match
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bat — the animal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cap — a lid

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