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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — to push
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cold — not warm
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — boats
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. content — the amount
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cold — an illness
  21. suit — to fit
  22. content — happy
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. craft — a skill

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