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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lean — thin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. press — to push
  18. chair — a leader

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