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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stock — shares
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. press — a publisher
  10. root — the cause
  11. press — to push
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. suit — in cards
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stock — goods
  24. row — a line

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