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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. kid — child
  5. land — a country
  6. bulb — for light
  7. press — to push
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. staff — a stick
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. land — to come down
  13. press — a publisher
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — for light
  19. press — newspapers
  20. staff — employees
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. staff — employees

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