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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: bear · cabinet · current · bulb · press · band · face · calf

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. current — of water
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — happening now
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — a publisher
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — electric
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. band — a music group
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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