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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a tool
  4. field — a subject
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. field — for sport
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. file — a line of people
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. press — to push
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. file — a document
  20. field — farmland
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. present — the time now
  24. lash — an eyelash

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