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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — a publisher
  3. chest — of your body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. press — to push
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — of law
  8. pass — a permit
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chest — a box
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chest — of your body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. prune — the fruit

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