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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. land — to come down
  3. court — of a king
  4. bound — obliged
  5. court — of law
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lie — to recline
  13. court — for sport
  14. bound — certain
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. press — to push
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. land — a country
  19. press — newspapers
  20. tube — the underground
  21. land — ground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. bulb — for light

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