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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a music group
  6. press — newspapers
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. press — to push
  11. foot — a measure
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. band — a ring
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mark — a grade

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