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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chest — a box
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mug — a cup
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a path
  15. press — to push
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a face
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rush — hurry
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — a song
  23. press — a publisher
  24. temple — a place of worship

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