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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 116 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 · press · fan · wave · rest · cap · drill · bulb

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. rest — a break
  7. drill — army training
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bass — low music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — the tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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