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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · bat · bulb · press · roll · land · kick · stick

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. press — newspapers
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. roll — a cake
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — a list
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. press — to push
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. kick — in football
  17. land — to come down
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. land — a country
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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