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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stock — shares
  8. spring — of water
  9. can — a tin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. press — to push
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stock — goods
  24. lash — an eyelash

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