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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fine — high quality
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. press — a publisher
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. press — to push
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. press — newspapers
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fine — all right
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. row — a line
  21. stem — to come from
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — to recline

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