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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. firm — a company
  9. shower — rain
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. spring — of water
  14. cell — in biology
  15. toast — bread
  16. shower — to wash
  17. firm — decided
  18. cell — a phone
  19. spring — the season
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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