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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. land — a country
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. press — to push
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. press — a publisher
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. press — newspapers
  23. hide — animal skin
  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