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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: bound · game · bulb · bear · rash · press · staff · saw

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rash — a series
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — a match
  10. bound — certain
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rash — hasty
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — wild animals
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. staff — employees
  24. game — a kind of play

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