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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: press · bulb · bark · drill · mine · lash · game · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — wild animals
  6. press — to push
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. press — a publisher
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. drill — army training
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. game — a match
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. drill — a practice

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