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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. content — happy
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. shower — to wash
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. press — to push
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fall — to drop
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — what's left
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fall — the season
  18. rest — what's left
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rest — a break
  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