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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. sharp — clever
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bat — the animal

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