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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bank — of a river
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. capital — money
  7. press — a publisher
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. press — to push
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — the earth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bank — for money
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ground — a position
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bank — for money
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — a city
  22. ground — crushed
  23. toast — bread
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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