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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rest — what's left
  3. firm — steady
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. shower — rain
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rest — what's left
  10. firm — a company
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rest — a break
  14. prune — to trim
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. press — a publisher
  17. shower — to wash
  18. firm — decided

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