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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
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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 · mouse · bulb · arm · kid · march · firm · rush

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — the month
  8. firm — a company
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. press — to push
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — steady
  17. press — newspapers
  18. firm — decided
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. march — music
  24. press — a publisher

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