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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — hasty
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. press — to push
  18. spring — of water
  19. wind — moving air
  20. board — a committee
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rash — a series

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