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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: can · stick · perch · press · safe · roll · band · bulb

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. roll — a cake
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a ring
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — newspapers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. can — a tin
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. press — a publisher
  22. roll — a list
  23. band — a music group
  24. bulb — of a plant

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