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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. press — newspapers
  3. key — in music
  4. object — a thing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. object — to protest
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — in sport
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. press — to push
  18. key — for a lock
  19. net — for catching
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — an aim
  24. press — a publisher

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