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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: press · clip · bulb · racket · can · wax · bass · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — to be able to
  14. clip — a video
  15. can — a tin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bass — the fish
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. press — a publisher
  21. clip — for paper
  22. press — to push
  23. bass — low music
  24. can — a tin

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