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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: staff · bulb · prune · press · degree · lie · bay · spell

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — a stick
  3. degree — temperature
  4. spell — letters
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. press — to push
  7. staff — employees
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. press — a publisher
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. prune — to trim

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