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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: fine · bowl · bulb · wound · cell · fall · bark · press

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cell — a phone
  14. fall — the season
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. press — to push
  24. bulb — for light

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