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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fall — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. snap — to click
  12. chip — to eat
  13. press — a publisher
  14. swing — to play on
  15. press — to push
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — for light
  22. swing — music
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. swing — in golf

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