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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 124 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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. toast — bread
  3. press — a publisher
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — thin
  6. press — to push
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cue — for pool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lean — to bend
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cap — a hat
  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