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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. current — of water
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rest — what's left
  7. press — to push
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — happening now
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — electric
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bass — low music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rest — a break
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bass — the fish

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