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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — low music
  5. press — to push
  6. charge — a price
  7. wake — a trail
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. shower — rain
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bass — the fish
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. shower — to wash

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