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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cap — of ice
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. file — a document
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cap — a hat
  11. file — a tool
  12. press — to push
  13. cap — a lid
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — a break
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. press — a publisher
  24. file — a line of people

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