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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — the most important part
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. press — newspapers
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rule — government
  14. bulb — for light
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. foot — a measure
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rule — a law
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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