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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bass — low music
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rash — hasty
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stem — to come from
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. press — newspapers
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bulb — for light

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