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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — of a king
  3. mate — a partner
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tear — from crying
  12. press — a publisher
  13. court — of law
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mate — to breed
  18. press — to push
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. court — for sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mate — a friend

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