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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. band — a ring
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. press — to push
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — a tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. press — a publisher
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. band — a music group

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