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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. press — newspapers
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — a publisher
  14. file — a line of people
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. press — to push
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — clever

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