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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 116 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. press — newspapers
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — the sport
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. lean — thin
  10. rash — a series
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. press — a publisher
  18. lean — to bend
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — to push
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rash — on the skin

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