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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: mouse · bulb · bass · press · rash · kick · rock · hand

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. hand — in cards
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kick — in football
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hand — help
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rock — a stone
  24. press — to push

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