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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. prune — to trim
  5. craft — a skill
  6. spell — magic
  7. kid — child
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rock — music
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mark — a trace
  13. press — to push
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mark — a grade
  17. craft — boats
  18. press — newspapers
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  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