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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. deal — to handle
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. prune — to trim
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — to push
  17. bank — of a river
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bulb — for light
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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