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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fall — the season
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — to push
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — in sport
  9. game — wild animals
  10. fall — to drop
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. press — a publisher
  17. game — a match
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. snap — to click
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. prune — to trim

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