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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lie — to recline
  6. tube — the underground
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. tube — a container
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bulb — for light
  17. roll — a list
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. press — a publisher

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