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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: bass · branch · rash · file · chip · bulb · press · straw

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bass — the fish
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. rash — hasty
  8. press — to push
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rash — a series
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. branch — a division
  14. file — a tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bass — low music
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rash — on the skin

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