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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 116 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. press — newspapers
  3. land — to come down
  4. content — the amount
  5. cap — a hat
  6. land — a country
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. swing — to play on
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. content — happy
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lean — to bend
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. press — to push
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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