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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a great time
  3. field — a subject
  4. rest — what's left
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rash — a series
  13. mug — a cup
  14. field — farmland
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — a face
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rest — a break
  21. press — to push
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. field — for sport
  24. bank — for money

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