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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. last — final
  5. press — to push
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. charge — a price
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. press — newspapers
  21. charge — in control
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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