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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 · arm · bay · press · saw · lean

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lean — thin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push

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