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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · hand · date · pit · press · bulb · mark · dip

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — magic
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hand — help
  5. press — a publisher
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spell — a short time
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. hand — in cards
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. spell — letters
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pit — in a race
  24. press — to push

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