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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — to point toward
  3. press — newspapers
  4. file — a line of people
  5. degree — from a university
  6. file — a document
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — a line
  10. file — a tool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. last — final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lie — to recline
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. last — finally
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. press — to push
  22. degree — an amount
  23. last — to go on
  24. press — a publisher

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