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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 116 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
468
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 · rock · squash · cabinet · game · ruler · bulb · mouse

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rock — music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. game — a match
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mouse — the animal

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