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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. can — to be able to
  3. prune — to trim
  4. can — a tin
  5. chip — for betting
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. shower — rain
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. present — the time now
  11. press — a publisher
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. can — a tin
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. present — there
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. present — a gift
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. toast — bread

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