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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. dip — a sauce
  3. firm — steady
  4. chest — of your body
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ball — a dance
  7. dip — to sink
  8. firm — decided
  9. chest — a box
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a great time
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — to push
  17. firm — a company
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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