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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. press — to push
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — obliged
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to click
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bound — certain
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bound — tied together
  23. shower — rain
  24. march — music

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