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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 ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. press — to push
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — rain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. plane — a tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — a series
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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