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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — newspapers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — a thing
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. press — to push
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. prune — to trim
  18. object — an aim
  19. pit — in a race
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. object — to protest
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pit — a hole
  24. prune — to trim

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