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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: kid · wave · season · cell · bank · press · cabinet · bulb

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — in sport
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bank — of a river
  7. season — of the year
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. press — to push
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. press — newspapers
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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