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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: leaves · game · deal · press · bulb · spring · pass · lean

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pass — a permit
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. press — newspapers
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lean — to bend
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — the season
  17. deal — to handle
  18. lean — thin
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — to push
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lean — to rest against

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