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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. drill — army training
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a great time
  11. current — of water
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. press — to push
  15. drill — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. press — newspapers
  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