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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. kick — in football
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lean — thin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lean — to bend
  24. capital — a city

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