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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: coach · deal · face · branch · key · land · press · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — newspapers
  10. land — to come down
  11. key — for a lock
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. deal — to handle
  15. key — in music
  16. face — to confront
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. land — ground
  20. press — to push
  21. face — to point toward
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. land — a country
  24. deal — a big deal

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