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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: spring · net · bay · press · wound · lean · bulb · lie

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. net — for catching
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spring — the season
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spring — a coil
  12. net — after costs
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — in sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. press — a publisher
  21. lean — thin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. spring — of water

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