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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. plane — a tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. clip — to cut
  7. press — a publisher
  8. toast — bread
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. key — in music
  18. press — to push
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. date — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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