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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. press — to push
  3. last — final
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — boats
  6. suit — to fit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. face — to confront
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. suit — in cards
  12. last — finally
  13. press — a publisher
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. craft — a skill
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — to trim

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