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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cell — a phone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. scale — in music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. nail — on a finger

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