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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — newspapers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — of the year
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. kid — child
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — to tease
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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