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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — to push
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spring — the season
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. object — a thing
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — a series
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spring — of water
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. press — a publisher
  21. object — an aim
  22. rash — hasty
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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