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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kid — child
  6. scale — in music
  7. lean — thin
  8. charge — electricity
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. press — to push
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — in control
  17. present — the time now
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — a publisher
  20. present — a gift
  21. lean — to bend
  22. charge — a price
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. present — there

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