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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: kick · press · rule · bulb · toast · spring · cue · drill

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rule — government
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. drill — army training
  14. cue — a hint
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rule — a law
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cue — for pool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cue — a signal
  24. toast — bread

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