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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.

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: press · ball · bulb · game · dip · fork · stand · snap

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ball — a great time
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fork — in a road
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. game — a match
  24. press — newspapers

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