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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: wind · press · jam · rush · wake · game · scale · bulb

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wind — moving air
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rush — hurry
  9. game — a match
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wind — moving air
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. scale — in music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. press — to push
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wake — a trail

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