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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: roll · cabinet · bulb · press · wound · toast · tube · mark

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. toast — bread
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bulb — for light
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. tube — a container

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