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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 120 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: band · file · press · staff · lash · bulb · season · stock

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. band — a ring
  6. press — a publisher
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. file — a document
  16. band — a music group
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stock — goods
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stock — shares
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. file — a tool

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