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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.

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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: band · suit · cold · press · can · bulb · safe · season

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. press — a publisher
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — to be able to
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cold — not warm
  8. band — a music group
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. suit — to fit
  15. press — to push
  16. cold — an illness
  17. can — a tin
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. season — of the year
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. season — in sport
  23. press — newspapers
  24. band — a rubber band

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