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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lean — to bend
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. press — a publisher
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — steady
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. firm — decided
  11. spring — the season
  12. press — to push
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — to handle
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. firm — a company
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lean — thin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — of water
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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