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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. squash — the sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. press — a publisher
  15. tube — a container
  16. press — to push
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — clever
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lie — an untruth

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