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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. tube — a container
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to click
  9. object — an aim
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. tube — the underground
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. press — newspapers
  18. object — to protest
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — a thing
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — ministers

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