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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: bulb · fine · wind · cap · press · bound · current · row

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — to push
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bound — certain
  10. current — electric
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cap — a lid
  13. row — to paddle
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. row — a line
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — of water
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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