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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: tube · bulb · arm · wax · date · fall · press · kid

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fall — the season
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. tube — a container
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tube — the underground
  21. press — a publisher
  22. kid — child
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. press — to push

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