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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 116 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
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: saw · mate · press · last · racket · bore · bulb · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. last — finally
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — final
  6. fall — to drop
  7. last — to go on
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — to push
  10. bore — to drill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mate — a friend
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mate — to breed
  22. press — newspapers
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fall — to drop

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