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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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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: ground · tube · bulb · wax · bear · race · spring · press

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — to push
  5. ground — a position
  6. spring — the season
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. press — newspapers
  14. race — humankind
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. ground — crushed
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. race — a contest

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