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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: press · clip · cabinet · bulb · kid · lean · rush · bass

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — a video
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kid — child
  15. bass — low music
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lean — thin
  20. clip — for paper
  21. press — to push
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. clip — to cut

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