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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — for light
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. press — a publisher
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — army training
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. drill — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pit — in a race
  23. snap — to click
  24. press — to push

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