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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: leaves · wind · coach · press · club · bulb · mine · fan

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. club — a group
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — newspapers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. club — for golf

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