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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fall — the season
  4. press — a publisher
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fall — to drop
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mug — a face
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mate — to breed
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — to push
  24. bulb — for light

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