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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.

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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. land — to come down
  3. suit — in cards
  4. land — a country
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chip — to eat
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. land — ground
  19. suit — clothes
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wax — to grow

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