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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. last — final
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — a permit
  10. vault — a safe
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stock — shares
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. last — to go on
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. press — to push
  20. stock — goods
  21. press — newspapers
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stock — a soup base

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