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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 116 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: bulb · kick · ruler · tube · press · branch · pop · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. tube — the underground
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pop — to visit
  6. branch — a division
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. face — to confront
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — soda
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pop — music
  19. press — to push
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. press — a publisher
  23. tube — a container
  24. bulb — for light

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