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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bear — the animal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ball — a dance
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. court — of law
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wind — moving air
  14. court — of a king
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. court — for sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. press — to push
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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