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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. fine — all right
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stock — shares
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fine — high quality

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