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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 · mine · file · face · bass · track · suit · press

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. press — newspapers
  3. track — to keep track
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. face — to confront
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a song
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. suit — in cards
  12. file — a document
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bass — low music
  15. press — to push
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. face — to point toward
  19. file — a line of people
  20. track — a path
  21. file — a tool
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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