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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. kid — child
  4. mark — a trace
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mate — a partner
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. press — newspapers
  16. spell — letters
  17. toast — bread
  18. spell — a short time
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. spell — magic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mate — to breed
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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