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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. tube — a container
  9. board — to get on
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cap — a hat
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. hand — help
  19. press — a publisher
  20. hand — in cards
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. plane — an aircraft

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