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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. craft — boats
  3. prune — to trim
  4. press — to push
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rock — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — the earth
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ground — a position
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ground — crushed
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lean — thin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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