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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. sharp — clever
  7. root — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. root — the cause
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. press — a publisher
  18. root — of a word
  19. press — to push
  20. vault — a safe
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. net — in sport

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