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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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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: toast · lash · swing · firm · cue · bulb · press · straw

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. firm — a company
  6. toast — bread
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. press — to push
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cue — for pool
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cue — a hint
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cue — a signal
  17. firm — steady
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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