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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: press · fine · bulb · wind · rest · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. bass — the instrument
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. press — to push
  10. rest — a break
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fine — all right
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bass — low music
  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