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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.

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: rest · press · rush · lash · lie · trunk · march · bulb

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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. rush — a thrill
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — a publisher
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. trunk — of a tree

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