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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mug — a face
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wax — to grow
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — a price
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. staff — a stick
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — in control
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — to rob
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stem — a stem cell

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