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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 120 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 · firm · trunk · press · stand · lean · dip · net

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — to sink
  5. firm — decided
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — a company
  9. press — a publisher
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. firm — steady
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — after costs
  16. lean — thin
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. net — in sport
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. press — to push
  21. net — for catching
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stand — to bear

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