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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. last — to go on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to point toward
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. press — a publisher
  9. track — a path
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — newspapers
  12. last — finally
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. face — to confront
  15. track — a song
  16. press — to push
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — part of the head
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. track — to keep track
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — final

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