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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. roll — a cake
  3. toast — bread
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. roll — a list
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pit — a hole
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — thin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lean — to bend
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. squash — the sport
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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