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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rule — a law
  12. cell — in biology
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. toast — bread
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chair — a leader
  21. press — to push
  22. rule — government
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bulb — for light

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