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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: spring · board · mine · rest · bulb · mate · racket · press

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — a break
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — a publisher
  7. board — a committee
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. board — to get on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — a partner
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spring — of water
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — a friend
  20. press — to push
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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