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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — there
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — to push
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — the season
  12. spell — magic
  13. spring — of water
  14. present — a gift
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spell — letters
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rush — hurry
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spring — a coil
  24. press — newspapers

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