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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. file — a document
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. file — a tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. wind — moving air
  14. craft — boats
  15. wind — moving air
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spell — a short time
  20. press — to push
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — letters
  24. file — a line of people

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