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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: drill · lean · bulb · press · prune · row · mug · fine

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fine — high quality
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mug — to rob
  5. press — to push
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. row — a line
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lean — thin
  11. mug — a face
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mug — a cup
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. row — to paddle
  17. drill — the tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. drill — army training
  21. fine — all right
  22. lean — to bend
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bulb — for light

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