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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — a publisher
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. deal — to handle
  10. squash — to crush
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — to push
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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