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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: bulb · clip · wake · prune · press · object · toast · face

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. object — to protest
  4. press — a publisher
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. clip — for paper
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — to confront
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. press — to push
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. toast — bread
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. object — a thing
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. wake — a trail
  23. object — an aim
  24. press — newspapers

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