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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 120 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: tube · lean · press · key · prune · calf · season · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lean — to bend
  6. prune — to trim
  7. press — to push
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lean — thin
  15. press — a publisher
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. key — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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