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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. press — a publisher
  8. swing — in golf
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. swing — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cap — a lid
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cap — of ice
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. press — to push
  21. row — a line
  22. cap — a hat
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ruler — for measuring

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