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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. file — a document
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ground — a position
  6. bulb — for light
  7. file — a line of people
  8. object — a thing
  9. rock — music
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spell — a short time
  12. press — to push
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ground — crushed
  15. object — an aim
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spell — letters
  19. date — the fruit
  20. file — a tool
  21. spell — magic
  22. press — newspapers
  23. date — on the calendar
  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