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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bass — the fish
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — to push
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hand — help
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. swing — music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. swing — in golf
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bass — low music

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