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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — to bend
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — crushed
  15. press — to push
  16. pop — soda
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ground — a position
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rest — what's left
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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