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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — the tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — for light
  10. field — for sport
  11. face — part of the head
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. press — a publisher
  14. firm — a company
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. field — farmland
  20. firm — decided
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. firm — steady
  23. face — to point toward
  24. field — a subject

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