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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. chest — a box
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chest — of your body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — to drill
  9. file — a tool
  10. press — to push
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bore — to tire
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mine — for digging
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. file — a document
  21. press — newspapers
  22. file — a line of people
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chest — of your body

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