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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bass — low music
  5. file — a document
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — a publisher
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cue — for pool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bass — the fish
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. arm — part of the body

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