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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pit — in a race
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hand — help
  14. pop — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. branch — a division
  19. season — of the year
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pop — soda
  22. pit — a hole
  23. press — to push
  24. dip — to sink

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