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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mate — a partner
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. press — to push
  9. lean — to bend
  10. press — a publisher
  11. land — a country
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. land — ground
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. mate — a friend
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mate — to breed
  23. land — to come down
  24. mark — to pay attention

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