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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bear — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — a publisher
  12. capital — a city
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. press — to push
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. capital — money

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