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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · scale · bulb · lie · fan · jam · press · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — a path
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lie — to recline
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hand — help
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — to push
  22. hand — in cards
  23. scale — in music
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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