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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mug — to rob
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ground — a position
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. firm — steady
  16. kid — child
  17. prune — to trim
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ground — the earth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. press — to push
  23. mug — a face
  24. firm — decided

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