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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: wave · press · pass · fan · stick · cabinet · bulb · deal

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. press — to push
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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