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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: bear · trunk · bulb · kid · rock · fan · press · file

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kid — child
  19. file — a document
  20. press — newspapers
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. file — a tool
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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