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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. press — newspapers
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. band — a music group
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mine — for digging
  9. press — to push
  10. mark — a trace
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mark — a grade
  13. band — a ring
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bat — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  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