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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bore — to tire
  9. court — of law
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mug — to rob
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. press — a publisher
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mug — a cup
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mug — a face
  21. bore — to drill
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  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