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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: press · band · craft · fan · spell · pop · bulb · nail

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. press — a publisher
  3. band — a ring
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — music
  14. spell — a short time
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pop — soda
  19. band — a music group
  20. pop — to visit
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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