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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: fall · bulb · cold · shower · press · track · bound · toast

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bulb — for light
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. toast — bread
  11. press — a publisher
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. shower — to wash
  14. track — to keep track
  15. shower — rain
  16. track — a song
  17. fall — the season
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bound — certain
  24. track — a path

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