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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: bulb · fine · spring · hand · wax · band · stick · press

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fine — all right
  10. spring — of water
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hand — in cards
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. hand — help
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wax — to grow
  23. press — a publisher
  24. band — a music group

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