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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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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bank — of a river
  5. net — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — music
  8. press — to push
  9. key — in music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. net — after costs
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. key — the most important part
  21. net — for catching
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wind — moving air
  24. press — a publisher

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