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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: dip · bulb · press · court · lean · rock · bear · bank

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. lean — thin
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rock — a stone
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bulb — for light
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. court — of a king
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — for sport
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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