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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — music
  3. drill — army training
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pop — music
  6. season — of the year
  7. press — to push
  8. tear — to rip
  9. press — newspapers
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. pop — to visit
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pop — soda
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. drill — a practice
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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