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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — a publisher
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rash — a series
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. swing — to play on
  18. row — a line
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. swing — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. row — to paddle

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