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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. press — to push
  4. spring — of water
  5. fall — the season
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. deal — to handle
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spring — the season
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. press — a publisher
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. prune — to trim
  24. sharp — clever

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