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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. land — to come down
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — a publisher
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. land — a country
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rest — a break
  24. bat — the animal

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