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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. court — of law
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. court — for sport
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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