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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: fall · ruler · press · wake · rock · bulb · branch · net

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — for catching
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. net — after costs
  11. rock — music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. net — in sport
  16. fall — the season
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wake — a trail
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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