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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. press — to push
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mate — a friend
  7. spell — magic
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fall — the season
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — happy
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. press — a publisher
  22. perch — the fish
  23. spell — letters
  24. content — the amount

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