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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — a list
  4. kid — to tease
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rush — hurry
  12. press — to push
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. kid — child
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — a break
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. press — a publisher

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