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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — to be able to
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. can — a tin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lean — to bend
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rock — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — thin
  24. press — to push

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