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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. land — a country
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chair — a leader
  11. press — to push
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. land — to come down
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. press — a publisher
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. press — newspapers
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — hurry
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. land — ground

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