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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · deal · lash · can · mate · stick · bulb · press

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mate — to breed
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mate — a friend
  9. spring — the season
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. deal — to handle
  17. spring — of water
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. press — to push
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — of a plant

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