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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. toast — bread
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rule — government
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rule — a law
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. toast — the most admired

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