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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. press — to push
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cap — of ice
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. press — a publisher
  24. staff — a stick

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