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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: bear · swing · press · rest · bulb · face · mouse · mate

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rest — what's left
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bear — the animal
  16. swing — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. face — to point toward
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rest — a break

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