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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. last — finally
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kid — child
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wake — a trail
  11. last — final
  12. court — of law
  13. stem — to come from
  14. court — for sport
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. court — of a king
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. last — to go on
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. kid — to tease
  24. press — to push

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