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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bound — obliged
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — the month
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. face — part of the head
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. press — to push
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — the month
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. march — music
  24. face — to confront

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