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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. press — a publisher
  2. object — an aim
  3. press — newspapers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. kick — in football
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. press — to push
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. object — a thing
  15. cap — a hat
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fork — in a road
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cap — of ice
  22. saw — the tool
  23. object — to protest
  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