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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — newspapers
  4. root — the cause
  5. face — to confront
  6. press — to push
  7. march — the month
  8. band — a music group
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. press — a publisher
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a ring
  19. march — music
  20. root — of a word
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bass — low music

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