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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — to push
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mug — a face
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. season — of the year
  12. band — a ring
  13. mug — to rob
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a music group
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mug — a cup
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — a line
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. season — in sport

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