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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: bulb · press · bass · can · pop · face · rule · sharp

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. press — newspapers
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. press — to push
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rule — a law
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. face — to confront
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bulb — for light
  12. face — to point toward
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pop — music
  15. rule — government
  16. pop — soda
  17. face — part of the head
  18. sharp — clever
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bulb — of a plant

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