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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. chip — to eat
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. press — to push
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wake — a trail
  22. kid — child
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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