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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — soda
  3. shower — to wash
  4. object — to protest
  5. rash — a series
  6. file — a document
  7. shower — rain
  8. last — final
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. last — finally
  15. pop — to visit
  16. object — an aim
  17. pop — music
  18. file — a line of people
  19. object — a thing
  20. last — to go on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — to push
  23. file — a tool
  24. press — a publisher

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