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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hand — help
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. sharp — clever
  6. foot — a measure
  7. file — a tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. race — a contest
  10. press — a publisher
  11. charge — a price
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. race — humankind
  14. charge — in control
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. press — to push
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — the arms race
  19. charge — electricity
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. hand — in cards

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