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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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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: fall · lean · press · bulb · deal · mouse · kid · pass

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pass — a permit
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fall — the season
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. kid — to tease
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pass — to spend time

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