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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: cap · pass · press · prune · pop · bulb · lie · race

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. race — humankind
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pop — music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — a permit
  11. race — a contest
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — to recline

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