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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. press — to push
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — to protest
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — the season
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. snap — to click
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. press — newspapers
  23. object — a thing
  24. press — a publisher

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