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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: race · lean · tube · date · press · trunk · bulb · bay

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lean — to bend
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lean — thin
  8. tube — a container
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. race — humankind
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. press — to push
  19. race — a contest
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. press — a publisher

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