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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 are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. press — to push
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. band — a music group
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. kick — in football
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. press — a publisher
  21. band — a ring
  22. press — newspapers
  23. land — ground
  24. bulb — of a plant

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