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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
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: degree · leaves · bulb · key · branch · press · file · lash

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. press — to push
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. key — the most important part
  9. degree — temperature
  10. file — a tool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. degree — from a university
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. degree — an amount
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. branch — a division
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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