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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pit — in a race
  3. press — to push
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. press — newspapers
  9. snap — to click
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — a hole
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bass — low music
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the instrument

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