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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. press — to push
  4. kid — child
  5. bound — certain
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — the season
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. spring — of water

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