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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 · wake · press · prune · swing · tube · toast · mate

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mate — to breed
  8. swing — to play on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mate — a friend
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mate — a partner
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. press — a publisher
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. toast — bread
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. swing — music
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wake — a trail

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