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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. prune — to trim
  4. board — a committee
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. press — a publisher
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rush — hurry

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