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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. present — there
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — in control
  10. rash — hasty
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rock — music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — the time now
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rock — a stone
  19. press — to push
  20. present — a gift
  21. rash — a series
  22. kick — in football
  23. press — newspapers
  24. sharp — clever

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