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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. object — an aim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. press — to push
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. toast — bread
  12. spell — letters
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. object — a thing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. object — to protest
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. spell — a short time

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