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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. squash — the sport
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cap — of ice
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chair — a leader
  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