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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chest — a box
  6. ball — a great time
  7. craft — a skill
  8. press — to push
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. press — a publisher
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. fall — the season
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fall — to drop

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