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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tear — to rip
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — money
  6. net — for catching
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. press — to push
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. capital — a city
  16. net — in sport
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. net — after costs
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tear — from crying

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