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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.

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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: rash · press · branch · suit · bound · bulb · shower · mine

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — certain
  5. suit — to fit
  6. branch — a division
  7. shower — rain
  8. suit — in cards
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. press — to push
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rash — a series
  17. bound — tied together
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bound — obliged
  20. press — a publisher
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. suit — clothes

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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