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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
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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: arm · bay · bulb · fan · press · drill

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. press — to push
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. drill — army training
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — a practice
  16. press — a publisher
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — the tool

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