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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. prune — to trim
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. face — to confront
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. scale — in music
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pop — to visit
  12. plane — a tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. press — newspapers
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pop — soda
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pop — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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