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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. pop — to visit
  3. date — the fruit
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cold — an illness
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pop — music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — there
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bore — to tire
  19. present — a gift
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. present — the time now
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pop — soda

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