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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. chest — a box
  5. press — a publisher
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spring — of water
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — for light
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. press — newspapers
  21. face — to confront
  22. spring — a coil
  23. land — a country
  24. spring — the season

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