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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. sharp — clever
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — to go on
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. press — to push
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. squash — to crush
  12. last — finally
  13. mark — a trace
  14. snap — to click
  15. mark — a grade
  16. press — newspapers
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. last — final
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. press — a publisher

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