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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. race — a contest
  7. spring — of water
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. press — to push
  17. bulb — for light
  18. press — newspapers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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