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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — to push
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fall — the season
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bass — low music

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