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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rock — a stone
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spring — a coil
  11. press — newspapers
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spring — of water
  18. swing — music
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. tear — from crying
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spring — the season

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