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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 116 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: can · spell · squash · bulb · coach · mate · press · prune

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. can — a tin
  3. mate — to breed
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — a partner
  6. squash — the sport
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mate — a friend
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — a short time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — letters
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. squash — the vegetable

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