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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.

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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: rest · season · bulb · press · fan · tube · net · mate

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bulb — for light
  3. season — in sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. press — to push
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — after costs
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rest — a break
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — of the year
  19. net — for catching
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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