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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · press · bay · toast · ball · spell · land · bulb

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chest — a box
  4. press — a publisher
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. spell — magic
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. press — to push
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. land — to come down
  12. toast — bread
  13. ball — a great time
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — ground
  17. ball — a dance
  18. press — newspapers
  19. spell — letters
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. land — a country
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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