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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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. press — to push
  8. prune — to trim
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — for digging
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. rush — hurry
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rush — a thrill

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