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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: press · court · dip · bulb · fall · wave · sharp · rule

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. court — of law
  3. sharp — clever
  4. court — of a king
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fall — the season
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. press — newspapers
  15. court — for sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. press — to push
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — a law
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bulb — for light

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