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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
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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: trunk · bay · band · toast · spring · press · bulb · rock

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a music group
  4. spring — a coil
  5. press — to push
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. toast — bread
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. press — newspapers
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. spring — the season
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. band — a ring
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spring — of water

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