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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cold — an illness
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — a partner
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. mug — a face
  12. press — a publisher
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. press — to push
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. cold — not warm
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bear — to put up with

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