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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: fall · tear · bulb · cell · spell · rock · cue · press

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — a stone
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cue — for pool
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — in biology
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fall — the season
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — for light

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