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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — thin
  5. sharp — clever
  6. press — to push
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lean — to bend
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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