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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: press · bulb · bowl · pop · lie · bank · cold · pitch

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bank — for money
  22. press — to push
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. lie — an untruth

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