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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rash — a series
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — there
  7. press — a publisher
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lean — thin
  16. content — happy
  17. press — to push
  18. present — the time now
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. present — a gift
  24. bulb — of a plant

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