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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · spring · wake · bulb · press · ruler · wound · toast

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. toast — bread
  7. wound — an injury
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. spring — of water
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. press — newspapers
  15. spring — a coil
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — the season

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