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

Word bank: tear · snap · bay · scale · deal · bulb · press · stand

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. scale — in music
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. scale — size or range
  12. deal — to handle
  13. press — a publisher
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. snap — to click
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tear — to rip

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