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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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chest — of your body
  4. press — to push
  5. mate — to breed
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mate — a partner
  8. present — the time now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bulb — for light
  13. present — there
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rule — a law
  19. bulb — for light
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rule — government
  22. mate — a friend
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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