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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: craft · straw · chair · press · roll · tube · bulb · wind

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. press — to push
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — the underground
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bulb — for light
  17. roll — a cake
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. roll — a list
  20. tube — a container
  21. craft — boats
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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