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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: wound · cue · press · bulb · spring · nail · pop · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. wound — an injury
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — the season
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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