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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. object — an aim
  2. spring — the season
  3. suit — to fit
  4. object — to protest
  5. press — a publisher
  6. suit — clothes
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cell — a phone
  15. prune — to trim
  16. press — to push
  17. cell — in biology
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. suit — in cards
  21. object — a thing
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cell — in a prison
  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