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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. charge — in control
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. press — to push
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. press — newspapers
  13. charge — a price
  14. fall — the season
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. charge — electricity
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wax — to grow
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  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