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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. chest — a box
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. suit — in cards
  17. press — to push
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lean — to bend

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