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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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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: row · mate · bass · press · nail · bulb

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — a line
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — low music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mate — a friend
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. press — to push
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bulb — for light
  18. press — newspapers

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