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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. march — the month
  3. press — to push
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. march — the month
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hand — help
  9. march — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. toast — bread
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. press — newspapers
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. hand — in cards
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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