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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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rock — a stone
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. press — to push
  8. prune — to trim
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. shower — rain
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rock — music
  13. pit — a hole
  14. press — newspapers
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. snap — to click
  17. pit — in a race
  18. shower — to wash

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