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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bank — of a river
  7. press — a publisher
  8. chest — a box
  9. pop — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mark — a grade
  16. file — a tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pop — to visit
  20. press — to push
  21. file — a document
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pop — soda
  24. chest — of your body

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