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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — a tool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. press — to push
  10. band — a ring
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. charge — a price
  14. swing — in golf
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — in control
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mine — for digging
  21. band — a music group
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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