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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — for light
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tube — the underground
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — to push
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. tear — from crying
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. press — newspapers

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