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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. craft — boats
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. chair — a leader
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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