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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.

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 · wake · mouse · rest · bass · bulb · spring · hide

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. press — a publisher
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spring — of water
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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