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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bass — low music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — a publisher
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chest — a box
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ground — the earth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chest — of your body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. bass — the fish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — a strongbox

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