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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. last — finally
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. kid — child
  5. plane — a tool
  6. last — to go on
  7. track — a song
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. last — final
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. press — to push
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. kid — to tease
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mug — a face
  18. cap — a lid
  19. track — a path
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mug — a cup
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cap — of ice

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